It was a pretty average day in Ponyville. The citizens were all going about their daily business, the sun shone brightly in the sky, the birds were singing, and life was generally pretty good for all. They had seen a lack of massive calamities of any kind for several days, so naturally they were all in high spirits. Well, all save one.
A light breeze picked up, originating somewhere outside of town. It blew through the streets and flew upwards, spinning the weathervane on the roof of the always-opulent Carousel Boutique, home and business place of a certain unicorn by the name of Rarity. Were one to look inside the ground floor windows of the boutique, they would not catch a glimpse of the unicorn. She was on the second floor, designing glasses resting on her face and sewing needles working furiously on various materials, sewing them together quickly, but steadily.
“I don’t have much time left. I need to finish this soon.” She said out loud to herself. She was adding the finishing touches to a dress she had designed, which she thought was coming together quite nicely, and she needed it completely done before the arrival of her dear friend Fluttershy. The timid yellow Pegasus had agreed to try on the dress, mostly because Rarity had asked her so nicely and she was always willing to help out a friend.
“Aaaand done!” Rarity stepped back and admired her work. “Oh, you’ve outdone yourself, Rarity!” The dress simple in its elegance, blending several greens and yellows to create a calm, more subdued look. It lacked the flare she usually went for, but for this piece it wasn’t an issue.
Just as she was patting herself on the back, she heard the bell announce an entrance, and she had to stop herself from running downstairs, setting her glasses aside before leaving the room. Sure enough, Fluttershy’s familiar form greeted her as she descended, one eye obscured by her almost absurdly long mane.
“Fluttershy, darling, thank you soooo much for coming by!” Rarity gave her friend a cheerful greeting. “I really do appreciate the help!”
“Oh, it’s no problem Rarity.” Fluttershy responded in her usual soft tone. “Anything for a good friend!” She looked around the room. “So, where is this dress you mentioned?”
Rarity gestured towards the stairs. “I have it upstairs. Are you sure you don’t mind doing this?”
“Of course not.” Fluttershy started towards the stairs, Rarity quickly taking the lead. “It’s no trouble at all.”
“I’m glad to hear it, dear.” Rarity led Fluttershy into the room where she had been working. “So, what do you think?”
“It’s very pretty, Rarity.” Fluttershy stepped closer to the dress and examined it more thoroughly. “I think it’s one of your best!”
“Oh, I think so too! Now here, go ahead and try it on!” Rarity’s magic enveloped the dress and lifted it off of its mannequin, gently giving it to Fluttershy. “I need to go get something, but please don’t wait for me!” The unicorn trotted out of the room, leaving Fluttershy to get dressed.
Rarity’s pace quickened when she knew Fluttershy couldn’t see her. She had to retrieve the final piece of her new ensemble, the one she had really put her effort into. She had hidden it away where it would be safe from prying eyes, and she went to its hiding spot now. Her horn lit up, and from under her bed slid a large round box. Her eyes visibly lit up upon seeing it, and her manner shifted for a brief moment.
“I’m sorry you had to wait so long.” Rarity almost cooed as she lifted the box and began walking back to the room where she had left Fluttershy. “But don’t worry, it’s almost time.”
Rarity opened the door and stepped into the room, returning to her usual self and setting the box down on a table. “Sorry about that Fluttersh- ooooh!”
Fluttershy had worked herself into the dress while Rarity was gone, and she had to admit the pegasus looked stunning. Of course, she had designed the dress specifically for Fluttershy, the colors she chose intended to compliment the mare’s natural hues. Of course, Fluttershy was not aware of this, but even if she was, she would have hid behind her mane and blushed all the same.
“H-how does it look?” she managed to squeak out.
“Oh, darling, it looks marvelous!” Rarity was immensely pleased with herself. She really was proud of her work. However, she was only able to take in her creation for a moment before she remembered why she had designed the dress in the first place. “Really, you look fabulous. Now, would you mind doing me another teensy favor?” The lid of the box levitated up and onto the table next to the actual box, and a large hat emerged glowing with magic. The colors matched the dress Fluttershy was wearing, as if they were part of a set. “Could you also wear this, please? I need to make sure it goes well with the dress.”
“Sure, I don’t mind.” Fluttershy’s face emerged from its veil of pink as she spoke.
“Thank you, darling! Here you are, then.” The hat, guided by Rarity, floated over to Fluttershy and stopped in front of her, allowing her to grasp it in her hooves. As Fluttershy donned the hat, its maker felt as if time was slowing down. All of her work was finally going to come to fruition. She could hardly believe it was really happening. The hat was lifted, and Rarity felt her heart racing. The hat was lowered onto Fluttershy’s head, and the unicorn’s heart almost stopped entirely. Luckily for her, the fit was snug, not too big, not too small.
“It’s perfect…” Rarity could hardly breathe. This was the moment of truth. If she had done everything right, all of her effort was about to pay off.
“Um, that’s good to hear.” Fluttershy seemed perplexed by Rarity’s sudden shift in mood. Her eyes were wide, and her breathing was hard. “Rarity, are you okay?”
“Oh, I’m fine…” Rarity seemed distant. Something was off, but Fluttershy couldn’t figure out what. “How are you feeling?”
“Me?” The question confused the mare even more. “I feel fi-“ Fluttershy’s sentence was cut off by a sudden jolt that ran through her body. It ran through her from her head to her hooves, but it wasn’t painful, or even unpleasant. It was just… odd, and she couldn’t say why. She was starting to get worried when she began to feel something strange in the back of her mind, something unfamiliar. It wasn’t a thought, but a feeling. But what kind of feeling?
Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide in fear as the strange feeling grew stronger and washed over her mind. She could feel herself changing, and she wanted it to stop. She tried to voice her fear, but her body was stiff, her jaw locked in place. This, naturally, only made her more afraid. She fought against the sensation dominating her mind, invading her every thought, but try as she might she just couldn’t resist. Then her mind began to change in its view on the situation. This feeling wasn’t actually so bad. She rather liked it, in fact. There wasn’t anything to be scared of, nothing at all. Her eyes slowly closed, and her mouth curled into a smile. Yes, this felt rather nice.
A small corner of her mind cried out, yelling at her to stop, that this wasn’t natural, that she should come to her senses, but Fluttershy was long gone, trapped in absolute happiness. As the new, wonderful sensation conquered her, she was able to identify it more and more. Her eyes opened, and as she felt her body come back under her control, she turned her head, searching for somethi-there! She trotted over to the object she was seeking- a mirror. She smiled and admired herself, turning to get different views of herself. A giggle escaped her lips. Rarity was right- she DID look good.
“Fluttershy?” The aforementioned unicorn stared at her friend, having watched the transformation take place. “Darling, are you okay?”
Another giggle answered Rarity’s question. “Oh Rarity, I feel absolutely…” She paused to search for the right word, sifting through her vocabulary for a way to describe this feeling. As she sought a fitting word, she continued admiring both herself and Rarity’s outfit in the mirror. Suddenly, it came to her, and as soon as the word escaped her lips, the last remnants of her old mind were silenced, conquered once and for all by the new Fluttershy.
“…fabulous!”
